How To Be Vegan by Elizabeth Castoria

Jane and I just had the opportunity to read How To Be Vegan by Elizabeth Castoria. This is a great book for people considering a vegan lifestyle. It touches on what to eat, what to wear, things to consider when furnishing your home, and travel. But perhaps, my favorite chapter is the section on manners. Ms. Castoria promotes the idea that it “makes more sense to encourage people in what they are doing to make the world better than to hound them for what they are not doing,” a philosophy we can soundly endorse.

This book is also a great reference for people who are not vegan, but have vegans in their lives. It provides enough of an overview in an easy to read and understand format, that the reader will gain an understanding of what vegan means in all its iterations. It illustrates that being vegan isn’t something difficult and bizarre, but rather a compassionate way of life. The book also contains 50 recipes, a sampling of things to make from breakfast to dessert.

We’ve been vegan for over 7 years now, so we really didn’t learn anything new reading this book, but this was a good refresher. We especially enjoyed the travel section. Ms. Castoria recommends Shojin, our favorite vegan restaurant, as one of the restaurants you should visit when in Los Angeles. We heartily concur!